Have a private well? Here’s how you can make sure it’s safe to drink, for free.

In this photo illustration, water from a tap fills a glass on July 06, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. (Justin Sullivan/Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Ge)

Do you live on a property with a well? Did you know that it’s best practice to test your well water as many as three times a year to make sure that it’s free from contaminants?

The spring melt means that it’s an ideal time for you to check and make sure your well water is safe to drink, and Grey Bruce Public Health is reminding residents to send their water in for testing, free of charge.

“While Public Health advises residents to test their well water at least three times a year, the best times to test are when the chances of contamination are greatest, such as in early spring, after heavy rains, the spring thaw, or flooding conditions,” said GBPH Senior Public Health Manager Andrew Barton.

Your water can be tested completely free of charge through Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) program. Residents in private water systems can drop their samples off for resting at a local public health office, or designated drop off location. A full list of locations in Grey Bruce is available here. Other local public health units will have their own designated drop off locations.

They are then transported to a Public Health Ontario lab for testing - where they must be processed within 48 hours of collecting the sample.

PHO’s program analyses samples for contaminants that can make people sick or even be fatal ,including E. coli and total coliforms.

You will receive your test results directly from PHO, and if it comes back with a less than ideal result, contact your local public health unit for assistance.